Category Archives: fruit

Turkey Wellington

Posted in baked, bread, cranberry, fruit, holiday, meat, mushrooms, recipes, rosemary, spices, thyme, turkey by

Not everyone feels like handling an entire 20 lb. bird for Thanksgiving – if you’re just cooking for yourself or a few other special someones, that’s a lot of leftovers!  Or maybe it’s mid August and you want all the deliciousness of Thanksgiving without the 5 day pumpkin spice latte infused extravaganza.  Whatever the case, this holiday spin on a rustic dish is sure to please and wow even the pickiest of turkey gobblers.  The classic technique is a bit tricky, but the reward is SO worth it!

DSCN0566Turkey Wellington!
serves 10

Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Morning: Cranberry and Pumpkin Scones with Whipped Maple Butter

Posted in bread, butter, cranberry, maple, pumpkin, scones by

By  now most everyone in the United States is up and elbows deep in some delicious turkey day preparations.  My family’s Thanksgiving tradition generally involves no breakfast, me taking over any heavy lifting duties, as well as about 4 bottles of champagne for the cooks (of which there are usually 2 – you do the math).  This year we decided to be smart about it and make something simple yet filling and delicious to fill our tummies before the main event begins.  After just finishing my first bites and almost licking the butter container clean, I can tell you that these will definitely become a new part of our family tradition – how about yours?

pop goes the cranberry

Cranberry and Pumpkin Scones with Whipped Maple Butter!
serves 8

Continue reading →

Chicken Fajitas

Posted in alcohol, bell peppers, chicken, cilantro, citrus, drinks, fruit, meat, oregano, sautéed, spices, spicy, tortillas, vegetables by

I am a slave to spice.  I live on Frank’s.  Usually dinner is Frank’s with a side of whatever else we’re having.  I literally put that **** on EVERYTHING.  I also absolutely love Mexican food and Southwestern flavors – hence my obsession with Bobby Flay.  And who doesn’t love sangria?

One of the simplest Mexican dishes to master is the fajita, and for drinks, there’s the Spanish sangria.  That’s partly because there’s no real formula for either, save a few basic rules, and because anything wrapped in a warm tortilla or with wine and some hot sauce is – in my opinion – worth dying for.

chicken fajitas

Chicken Fajitas!
serves 4

Continue reading →

Pina Ghoulada Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Crumble and Redrum Glaze

Posted in competitions, dessert, Diced!, fruit, holiday, ice cream, pineapple by

I’ve made it – the FINAL ROUND OF DICED!  I am so excited to contribute my (hopefully) WINNING dessert entry – if you vote at The Ranting Chef on the poll on the right hand side!  Without further ado, let’s get cookin…

Dessert is not my strong suit.  I’m not a big fan unless its flourless chocolate cake, and when given pineapple, dark chocolate, and oatmeal as my required ingredients, I was admittedly a bit confused as to what to do.  I’m not a big pineapple fan either.  Then it came to me, as it usually does, over alcohol – I LOVE pina coladas.  There’s an idea – now how to make that into a dessert?  How about ICE CREAM!?  Well, crap, I don’t have an ice cream maker.  But that didn’t stop me.

With All Hallow’s Eve (my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE HOLIDAYYYY) right around the corner, childhood memories have been coming back – and with them, I remembered making ice cream in science class with rock salt, ice, and a few ziplocks.  Perfect!  And I’ll never pass up a chance to let Halloween shine.  I scream, you scream, we all scream…

for ice cream!

for ice cream!

Pina Ghoulada Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Crumble and Redrum Glaze!
serves 2

Continue reading →